Djibouti

2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor

Minimal Advancement

In 2013, Djibouti made a minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The Government hired three labor inspectors and developed a national strategy that seeks to protect vulnerable populations and the rights of children. With support from the IOM, Djibouti continues to combat trafficking and hosts a center for assisting migrants. However, children in Djibouti continue to engage in child labor in street work and in the worst forms of child labor in commercial sexual exploitation. Significant gaps remain in the legal framework on child labor, and the Government has not established a coordinating mechanism to address child labor. Neither law enforcement efforts nor programs to assist working children are adequate.

I. Prevalence and Sectoral Distribution of Child Labor

Children in Djibouti are engaged in child labor in street work and in the worst forms of child labor in commercial sexual exploitation. Child labor in Djibouti varies in urban and rural settings; however, in both, it largely takes place in the informal sector.(1) Table 1 provides key indicators on children's work and education in Djibouti.

Table 1. Statistics on Children's Work and Education

Working children, ages 5 to 14 (% and population):

12.3 (23,693)

School attendance, ages 5 to 14 (%):

67.4

Children combining work and school, ages 7 to 14 (%):

10.2

Primary completion rate (%):

52.0

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2013, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2014. (2)Source for all other data: Understanding Children's Work Project's analysis of statistics from MICS3 Survey, 2006. (3)

Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.

*Evidence of this activity is limited and/or the extent of the problem is unknown.
‡Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a) - (c) of ILO C. 182.

Children's work occurs predominantly in urban areas, where the majority of the Djiboutian population is concentrated.(1, 6) A small number of refugees, Ethiopian and Somali migrants, and girls from poor Djiboutian families are trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation in Djibouti City and along trucking routes on the Ethiopia-Djibouti corridor.(1, 5) Limited evidence suggests younger children are sometimes involve younger children in exploited in commercial sexual exploitation by older children.(5)

Djiboutian law does not define hazardous work or clearly establish a minimum age for it. Additionally, the Government has not developed a list of hazardous occupations prohibited to children.(11)

Research uncovered no evidence that the law prohibits the purchase of child pornography. While education in Djibouti is free, expenses associated with education are often prohibitively high for poor families, which contributes to low primary school attendance rates.(4, 12)

Law enforcement agencies in Djibouti took actions to combat child labor, including its worst forms.

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2013, the Ministry of Labor hired three new labor inspectors to the Inspectorate for a total of four labor inspectors.(1) None of the four labor inspectors have received training related to child labor investigations; meanwhile, an overall lack of resources have hampered inspection and enforcement efforts. No child labor inspections were undertaken in 2013 and no violations were issued.(1)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2013, the Vice Squad included four officers, but lacked sufficient training and resources to effectively enforce laws related to child labor, trafficking, and commercial sexual exploitation. In addition, no data on investigations, prosecutions, or convictions on child labor or exploitation were available.(1)

V. Government Policies on the Worst Forms of Child Labor

The Government of Djibouti has established policies related to child labor, including its worst forms (Table 6).

Table 6. Policies Related to Child Labor

Policy

Description

National Strategy 2013-2017†

Provide social safety nets for vulnerable populations, protect the rights of children, and develop social programs to address the risks of children.(1)

†Policy was launched during the reporting period.

In 2013, the Government of Djibouti sought to increase the quality of education. It maintained a policy of offering free public education and devotes a quarter of its national budget to the education sector.(1)